When Two Families Come Together

This last Saturday we celebrated the marriage of our daughter, Ashley Willoughby to Jesse Bonfiglio. I am a pastor and Jesse’s dad, Jerry Bonfiglio is a pastor as well. A wedding is often spoken of in the terms of “two families coming together”- this happened in sooo many ways this weekend.

Jerry and I have been colleagues and friends for 20+ years. Never knew that one day we would be more closely related—well sort of. What a great privilege for us to share our Children and to share their Ceremony. Jesse is Ann and Jerry’s only son and child so this was special. Ashley is our only daughter and first one married so this was special to Suzanne and me. Jerry led the first part of the wedding and “oversaw” my handing my daughter off to his son. He gave the Message of the wedding. I saw them through their Vows, Rings, and Unity Sand with Ashley’s only brother, Benjamin, singing for his sister and now Brother-in-law. We both prayed Prayers of Blessing over our children – I laying my hands on Jesse and Jerry laying his hands on Ashley. We jointly introduced them as the new couple and then each grabbed our wives to join the new Husband and Wife for the Receiving line.

There was another whole “Family” there as well – the people from our two churches! Two churches came together for this wedding: the Nazarene and the Baptist. Thank you to the many who came to join us from both. There were people there from two churches but there was still only one Family – God’s family!

Thank you, Jerry and Ann

Thank you to our Nazarene and First Baptist Family

From,

Stephen and Suzanne